RAM proves to be more than just a WIM at Homefirst

Homefirst Community Trust, the largest community trust in Northern Ireland with 6,070 staff and an annual income in excess of £185 million, has chosen RAM's Series4000 solution after an exhaustive review of financial accounting applications. RAM's selection, against strong competition, confirms its position once again as one of the leading specialist suppliers to the NHS.

“Our objective from the start was to select a system that would enable us to fully comply with the requirements of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's (DHSSPS) Capital Accounting Manual,” stated Margaret Hayes, assistant financial accountant. “From the moment RAM presented the Series4000 solution to us we could see that it was so much better than what we currently had and far ahead of the other suppliers we had seen.

“I think because RAM specialises and works so closely with the NHS it's possibly the only system that consistently keeps up to date with the frequent changes within the Capital Accounting Manual (CAM). It was clear that the team would not need to compromise on its compliance if it had RAM's solution in place.”

Margaret Hayes added: “Until recently, we had been managing awide mix of over 4000 of the Trust's assets using WIMS. It was extremely time consuming. Every month we went through the lengthy routine of producing management information but the system lacked any real flexibility. It just left us with reams of data, with limited analysis or reporting functionality.

“Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the WIMS system was the fact that it only ever provided a snap-shot in time so comparisons were almost impossible. With RAM's Series4000 solution we have a powerful audit trail that allows trusts to produce historical reports of events throughout the entire life of each asset, even following disposal.

“Prior to the implementation of RAM's system it would take anything up to half a day to produce the most basic report from WIMS. There are over 30 standard reports in the RAM solution, all available at the touch of a button. Even more complex reports such as TAC12 are available and can be produced in just a few minutes in the exact format outlined in the manual. There really is no comparison between the two solutions as far as I am concerned,” concluded Hayes. ”The features available to Trusts within the software make the process of creating capital items so much easier. User-definable analysis and description headings mean the software can be tailored to our exact requirements and makes navigating and using the system really straightforward. The process of calculating capital charges, indexation and depreciation has also been made simple. Everything can be calculated through a single process that is both logical and time efficient.”

Homefirst has continued to be impressed by Real Asset Management's professional approach and continued support. “From that very first presentation of the Series4000 solution through to implementation and our first day running the software, the quality of support has been excellent. RAM's breadth of knowledge and experience within the NHS sector has proved invaluable to Homefirst,” concluded Hayes. “I would have no hesitation in recommending other trusts with similar requirements to take a look at this specialist solution.”

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